When to plant strawberries in Yakima, WA

Plant strawberry plants in Yakima Apr 10 – May 22.

Easy Plant young plants

Why these dates

Yakima's typical last spring frost is May 8. As a hardy perennial, this crop can go in about 4 weeks before that.

Columbia Basin and low eastern valleys. Hot, dry summers and quick spring warm-up. Warm crops go in earlier than west of the Cascades, and irrigation matters more than rain.

Difficulty: Easy
Sun: Full sun
Spacing: 12 to 18 inches apart
Planting depth: Crown at soil level: not buried, roots covered
Frost: Hardy perennial; comes back every year
First harvest: A light crop the first summer; full crops from the second year

Step by step

Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant strawberry plants Apr 10 – May 22, 12 to 18 inches apart. Crown at soil level: not buried, roots covered.
Water regularly, mulch with straw, and pinch off runners in the first year so plants put energy into roots.
Harvest: Pick fully red berries every couple of days, in the morning, with the cap attached.

Varieties that do well here

Hood (an Oregon classic)
Shuksan
Seascape (everbearing)
Albion (day-neutral)

Watch out for

Gray mold (botrytis) in wet springs and slugs on ripe berries. Mulch with straw to keep fruit off the soil.

June-bearers give one big crop; everbearers and day-neutrals give smaller harvests through summer. Oregon and Washington breeding programs have produced many of the best varieties for this climate.